There’s a thread that runs through everything Alysia Stern does, whether she’s handing a warm meal to a veteran, negotiating a real estate deal, or reading a children’s book aloud to a room full of wide-eyed kids. That thread is a story. “I tell stories,” she says simply. “From writing children’s books, to getting donations for those in need, or selling a client a home, each blessing stays with a story.”
It’s a deceptively modest way to describe a career that spans publishing, broadcasting, real estate, philanthropy, and entrepreneurship. But for Stern, the throughline has always been connection and the power of a well-told story to change someone’s life.
Roots of Generosity
Long before the accolades arrived, Alysia Stern was watching and learning. Raised in New York by a father who served in the United States Army and a mother who devoted her life to teaching, she grew up inside a household defined by duty and generosity. Her mother and grandmother modeled what it looked like to give without expectation, feeding the homeless, championing veterans, and even welcoming rescued dogs into an already full home.
“They taught me: no matter what you have, someone has less, so give,” Stern recalls. That lesson became the foundation of everything she has built.
She began writing at the age of nine. Her first children’s book, My Nanny Georgeann, was completed in 1999, and it launched a publishing journey that would eventually span ten titles, all available at Barnes & Noble, the New York Public Library, Amazon, iBooks, and more. Each year, she takes these books on tour, reading to children in schools, charities, daycare centers, and summer camps across New York State.
The Brand That Heals
By 2012, Stern had expanded well beyond the printed page. She joined Madhouse TV as a talk show host, launching Rendezvous with Alysia, a show that would eventually air in 78 countries, drawing thousands of weekly viewers. Her guest list reads like a music hall of fame: Debbie Gibson, Eddie Money, The Bangles, Melissa Etheridge, Lisa Loeb, Air Supply, and many more. That same year, she officially incorporated her own PR company, channeling her passion for storytelling into career-building for independent artists.
She also ran her own New York City radio station until February 2015, cementing her reputation as a true media personality who moves fluidly across platforms.
Today, the Alysia Stern brand encompasses far more than any single title can capture. She is a licensed real estate broker in New York, South Carolina, and Florida, a published author, a podcast host, a PR professional, and a philanthropist. In 2020, Long Island Business News honored her as one of its Top 50 Women of the Year. In 2025, she ranked in the top 1% of realtors in South Carolina. And in 2026, MSN.com named her one of the Top 10 Entrepreneurs to Watch.
“The Alysia Stern brand isn’t just an entrepreneur,” she says. “It’s a brand that helps, heals, and encourages others to win.”
Heroes Helping Heroes
In 2011, Stern’s life took another meaningful turn when she met Cristino Melendez, a retired NYC police officer and active NYC firefighter who matched her devotion to service in every way. Together, they created The Heroes Agents, a real estate brand built on a singular mission: helping heroes achieve the lives they deserve, with no strings attached.
When the couple relocated to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, in 2022, the transition wasn’t without its challenges. They moved into a 1,000-square-foot condo, a tight fit that stretched across two and a half years. Distance from family weighed heavily; their daughter Sophia remained in New York pursuing a medical degree, while their son Jack was deployed as an active-duty U.S. Marine.
But even in moments of personal difficulty, Stern never stopped giving. She began volunteering weekly at a local soup kitchen, serving breakfast to those in need, continuing a practice of feeding the homeless and supporting veterans that she has maintained for over two decades.
Creating, Not Following
What sets Stern apart, she believes, isn’t any single achievement. It’s consistency and originality. “I believe in original content and not trends,” she says. She mentors new real estate agents, teaches them how to win, and hopes that her own generosity inspires a ripple effect. Her charitable initiative, Cans and Crayons, and her home product line under the Alysia Stern name are extensions of this same creative ethos.
Her greatest gift, she says, is her voice, her ability to communicate without fear or shame. And the life lesson she most wants to share is simple: “Keep going and stay consistent even when you don’t want to. Push through; that’s when miracles happen.”
For Alysia Stern, legacy isn’t a future goal. It’s already being built, one story at a time.
